Govt set up 21,000 mosques, religious establishments

The government repaired and reconstructed 21,000 mosques and religious establishments alongside building a 170 feet high minaret and expanded female prayer room of Baitul Mukarram national mosque during the last 10 years.

“With the expansion work of female prayer room of Baitul Mukarram national mosque, 5,600 women can perform prayers at a time. The government has repaired and reconstructed 21,000 mosques and religious organisations,” an official of the religious affairs ministry told the news agency.

He said the government is constructing model mosque-Islamic cultural centres in districts and upazila towns across the country with Saudi Arabia's financing.

According to the planning ministry, the model mosques would disseminate "accurate and correct" information about Islam across the country and prevent militancy, violence towards women and increase awareness.

He said the government created 80,000 employment facilities by introducing mosque-based child education and mass education across the country at a cost of Tk 1,500 crore.

Some 96.16 lakh students have been getting education facilities under the mosque-based education programme.

The government also distributed 4 lakh copies of the Holy Quran among mosque-based students and introduced honours courses at 80 madrasas. It set up 28,000 libraries in mosques and established 100,000 mosque-based maktabs (Islamic elementary school), he added.